Foliage destroying machine and beet topper



April 18, 1950 J. J. WALLACE FOLIAGE DESTROYING MACHINE AND am TOPPERFiled Feb. 24, 1947 INVNTOR. @060 .7. "611009 Patented Apr. 18, 1950roman pss'raormo MACHINE AND BEET 'rorPEa John J. Wallace, Wilder, IdahoApplication February 24, 1947, Serial No. 730,617

1 Claim.

This invention relates generally to agricultural machinery or the like,and aims to provide a device or machine in the form of an attachmentwhich may be used for topping beets, for shallow cultivation, or for thedestruction of weeds, potato vines, onion tops, etc. The device may bemounted on or attached to any make of tractor, beet lifter or loader, oron any. type of machine that would function more efficiently by havingthe foliage destroyed either before or during its operation, and anysuitable driving means such as, for example, the power take-off of atractor, may be used to operate the attachment.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a plurality ofspaced substantially or approximately vertical spindles havingflail-like ropes, chains, or the like tied thereto in vertically spacedrelationship, together with means for rapidly rotatingthe spindles whoselower extremities-remain at an elevation above the ground, so that asthe machine advances the flail-like action of the said ropes, chains, orthe like destroys the foliage of the plants which. extends above theground.

The above and additional and more detailed objects will become apparentin the following description wherein characters of reference refer tolike-numbered parts in the accompanying drawing. It is to be noted thatthe drawing is intended for the purpose of illustration only and that itis neither desired nor intended to limit the invention to any or all ofthe specific details of construction shown excepting insofar as they maybe deemed essential to the invention.

Referring briefly to the drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevational view ofthe attachment per se.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view takenon the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral Ill indicates a housingformed of two complementary half sections II and 2 adapted to be heldtogether by bolts |3 passing through holes Hi. The numeral I5 indicatesany horizontal support or frame such as may be found on a tractor, towhich the housing I is bolted by bolts and from which, therefore, thehousing I0 is supported.

One end of a drive shaft I1 enters the housing Hi from one side, andthis shaft is adapted to be driven by any suitable means, such as, forinstance, the power take-01f of a tractor, not shown.

In alignmentwith the shaft 11 is. a stub shaft l8 positioned centrallyin the housing. Bevel gears l9 and 20 are provided on the ends of theshaft l8, and a bevel gear 2| is provided on the Positioned between thejuxtaposed ends of the shafts l1 and I8, and at right angles to theseshafts, is a stub shaft 22 having bevel gears 23' and 24 on the endsthereof, and an intermediate bevel gear 28 thereon. Spaced from thebevel gear 20 and at right angles to the shaft i8, is a shaft 25 havingbevel gears 26 and 21 on its ends, and an intermediate bevel gear 29thereon.

Openings 30 are provided through the housing section I! at bothextremities of the shafts 23 and 25. Substantially or approximatelyvertical spindles 3|, 32, 33, and 34 are suspended from these openingsby enlarged upper ends or flanges spaced transverse openings 42therethrough all lying in a common plane. A plurality of yokes 31 isprovided, 'each having a cross-member 43 joining the extremities of itsarms and passing loosely and hence pivotally through one of the openings42. The yokes are positioned alternately on opposite sides of thespindle, as shown, and the ends of lengths of rope, chain, or the likeare secured to the yokes.

The bevel gear 36 is in mesh with the gear 33; likewise, the bevel gear39 meshes with the gear 24, the bevel gear 40 meshes with the gear 21,and the bevel gear 4| meshes with gear 26. The bevel gear 20 of theshaft l8' meshes with the bevel gear 29 of the shaft 25. Hence, rotationof the drive shaft I1 causes rotation of the four spindles 3|, 32, 33,and 34 shown.

It is apparent that, when the attachment illustrated is supported abovethe ground in such a position, for instance, in two furrows of a farm,with the foliage to be destroyed being positioned in the adjacent hills,and the shaft I1 is rapidly rotated as previously stated, the spindles3|, 32, 33, and 34 will likewise rotate rapidly and will by centrifugalforce swing the ropes 38 through approximately horizontal planes. As theropes 3'8 strike the foliage they sever or destroy it, thus v clearingthe ground.

Obviously, modifications in form and structure may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

In a device of the class described, a spindle adapted to be rotatedrapidly, said spindle having a plurality of longitudinally spaceddiametrical openings therethrough' lying in a common. REFERENCES CITEDplane, a like plurality of yokes, each of said yokes having a cross-armat right angles to and loing? ig zw t are of record in the ing theextremities oi the arms of the yoke and registering pivotally in oneofsaid openings, said I UNITED STATES PATENTS yokes having flail-likemembers secured'thereto, Number Name Date said yokes being arranged instaggered relation- 1,263,965 Twitchell Apr. 28, 1918 ship along thelength of the spindle so that any 2,341,486 Bwertfeger Feb. 8, 1944 twoyokes 0! each pair of mutually adjacent yokes extend from mutuallyopposite sides of the 10 FOREIGN PATENTS spindle. I I Number CountryDate JOHN J. wmcm 802669 France June 18. me

